


Hyunjae's Guide to Confessing

by krucxa



Category: The Boyz (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Attempt at Humor, Don't Examine This Too Closely, M/M, Polyamory, Unreliable Narrator, eric is there for a minute, idiots to lovers, jacob is there for emotional support, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-21
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:22:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27659443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/krucxa/pseuds/krucxa
Summary: "Still," he mutters, "I can barely handle my feelings for Juyeon—add another crush to that, and you'd have a disaster waiting to happen."Jacob doesn't reply immediately after that. He considers Hyunjae for a few seconds too long, before he picks up his cup again, "well, too late for panicking, because it's already happening," and with that, he takes another sip of his drink.Meanwhile, dread washes over Hyunjae. He's in trouble.
Relationships: Lee Jaehyun | Hyunjae/Lee Juyeon/Lee Sangyeon
Comments: 17
Kudos: 60





	Hyunjae's Guide to Confessing

**Author's Note:**

> okay, first of all, this fic only exists bc i found out that there's only 4 fics in the sangjumil tag, mine included. so, obviously, it's my job now to fill it up.  
> bear in mind i wrote literally 90% of this fic today and i haven't proofread this yet, so i hope there aren't any stupid mistakes

  * **step one: realize that your feelings aren't as platonic as you claim them to be.**



Hyunjae sets down his bag loud enough that he manages to startle approximately five people inside the café, which by itself isn't a very unusual situation, but this time, things are serious. This time, he doesn't do so for the sake of dramatic entry, no—this time, he simply can't bring himself to care.

He's too distracted to even notice the mildly annoyed stares the action earned him, all because his thoughts are running a mile a minute; though, could anyone blame him? This is a critical situation, after all! His mind screams _emergency_ on loop for all the wrong reasons and he damn nearly misses the seat as he slumps down to drape himself over the table.

"Jacob, I'm _dying_ ," he groans out, half of his face pressed into the wood. It's cool to touch, but the fact does nothing to soothe the heat that spreads through his cheeks at that very moment. He isn't even sure why his skin is aflame, this absolutely isn't a blushing matter, not when his heart is beating this fast in his chest and when he's just a breath away from panicking.

Okay, he may be exaggerating slightly; truly, this isn't the end of the world, but to Hyunjae, it sure feels like it. From an outsider's perspective, there's virtually nothing for him to have a crisis about, but his life feels like it had just been flipped upside down. All because of Sangyeon.

"What happened?" he hears the other ask. If it were any other friend of his, they would have probably made fun of his current state. Jacob, on the other hand, actually cares for his well-being; this is why Hyunjae only speaks to him about such matters. Such matters, meaning, the absolute train wreck that is his love life.

Yes. He's losing his cool because of something as ridiculous as that, so sue him. All things considered, it should be seen as a perfectly reasonable cause of a crisis, so he really doesn't get why Jacob is the only person to ever take it seriously.

Well. Perhaps Juyeon wouldn't make fun of him for it either, but it's not like Hyunjae could talk to him of all people when he's literally one of the two reasons for this disaster.

"You know Sangyeon?" he replies, partly muttering the words into the table, before he finally pushes himself up. It isn't until then that he notices Jacob's drink that he only barely missed hitting when he sat down, joined by Jacob's phone, lying face down on the wood. It's probably a subtle way of showing that he's paying attention to what Hyunjae is saying.

Hyunjae appreciates that, "no, of course you do, why am I even asking? Point is: I may have had this huge realization about him and now I don't know what to do."

Jacob's eyebrows fly up. It would be a hilarious sight, if only the reason behind it wasn't Hyunjae's crisis. When he speaks next, he does so slowly, like one would talk to a wild animal to soothe it, "okay, what kind of a realization are we talking about? Good or bad?"

Hyunjae makes a conflicted noise. He isn't even sure what to count it as, at this point, "I don't know, uh, good, I guess? But it's bad for me, specifically," he drifts off, aware of the puzzled glance Jacob sends him, so he sighs and goes on, "I mean, this may sound underwhelming, but he smiled at me today, and there was something about that smile that made my chest feel all… warm and nice, you know? It's weird, but he just—he looked so cute, and I don't even get why I find him cute? I mean, not that I know him that well, but that was… new, definitely."

With that, he pauses, taking a deep breath. As he talks, Jacob nods every now and then, at the right moments, and Hyunjae really owes him for this emotional support, "so far, I thought that I just kinda idolized the dude, but that made me realize that I may actually have a crush…? And that's not good, not good at all."

Now, when he looks at Jacob again, the other looks positively confused. He stares back at Hyunjae with his eyebrows furrowed, and he places down the cup that he's been sipping on while Hyunjae spoke, "why would that be bad?"

It's a simple question, really. Too bad that the answer isn't as simple.

Hyunjae hesitates for a moment, before finally replying, "you do remember that I'm completely head over heels for my best friend, right?"

Jacob's eyes glint in recognition, "oh, Juyeon? Yeah, it's a bit hard to forget when you keep bringing him up," and if it were anyone else to say that, Hyunjae is sure it would feel like a taunt. But there's no malice behind Jacob's words; it's just a statement, simple as that, so Hyunjae lets it go.

"Right, Juyeon. I don't think I have to elaborate on why that complicates things, no?" he prompts, but Jacob only gazes back at him blankly, so he continues, "come on, I can't have another crush when I'm already basically in love with Juyeon."

"Why not?" Jacob counters, tapping his fingers against the table, "it's just a crush, there's nothing wrong about it, and crushes aren't that serious most of the time. Besides, you and Juyeon aren't a thing. You said it yourself, that you'd rather keep your friendship than confess and possibly lose it."

Up until then, Hyunjae was ready to interrupt, but then he leans back in his seat, moping. The thing is, Jacob is right—that's exactly what Hyunjae thinks. It's almost weird that the other remembered his statement word to word, but then, he does lament about it quite often, so maybe it's not that surprising after all. But it doesn't change the fact that he doesn't like it.

"Still," he mutters, "I can barely handle my feelings for Juyeon—add another crush to that, and you'd have a disaster waiting to happen."

Jacob doesn't reply immediately after that. He considers Hyunjae for a few seconds too long, before he picks up his cup again, "well, too late for panicking, because it's already happening," and with that, he takes another sip of his drink.

Meanwhile, dread washes over Hyunjae. He's in trouble.

  * **step two: make up your mind.**



The problem is, that's easier said than done.

It's ridiculous; Hyunjae feels like he has to choose; between his best friend and an… acquaintance. A cute one, yes, but an acquaintance nonetheless.

What's even worse, he's always been bad at choosing only one of the available options, and he'd cursed his own indecisiveness way too many times to count. Perhaps that's why he doesn't immediately pick the seemingly obvious option, instead spending a whole week overthinking his situation.

A whole week, that leads to this. This, being: hanging out with Juyeon and Eric at a video arcade. Apparently.

Which would usually spark joy but unfortunately Hyunjae's mind is still very much preoccupied so what he ends up doing is observing the other two as they play.

It's a nice sight, one that he would normally put into the pleasing memories folder in his brain, what with how happy the other two appear. Eric laughs loudly, cursing when he makes a mistake but his face lights up immediately after, like he can't even bother to worry about something as simple as that; Juyeon, on the other hand, is a bit more quiet, a bit more focused, though he does grin at Eric when the boy calls for his attention. That grin, in particular, Hyunjae would love to save in a picture for eternity.

All in all, seeing his friends having fun like that, it's obviously nice. Hyunjae should feel _nice_ , and he does feel somewhat like that, but his mind keeps wandering so he ends up staring off into distance instead of joining on the fun.

Now, it isn't that he's jealous. Why would he be? Both him and Juyeon are great friends with Eric, and that had never been an issue before, just like it isn't one right now. No, the problem lays somewhere else. It's the fact that despite being with them, Hyunjae keeps thinking about Sangyeon instead.

 _It's just a crush_ , Jacob had said, but that doesn't sound quite right. It feels like, if Hyunjae would let himself feel anything more than that, then it would have immediately grown into something that he doesn't want to name.

Since his realization, Hyunjae has interacted with Sangyeon more. It wasn't planned; at least half of the times they have run into each other this week were on accident.

But besides that, Hyunjae has his number, and they text probably more than simple acquaintances would. To add to that, Sangyeon sent him a good morning message that day, which made it a bit more bearable to get up from bed early. It's ridiculous, how such a small thing like that could affect him this much.

The thought scares him. But what scares him more, is the reason behind it.

That is, his feelings for Juyeon.

The same Juyeon that sends him a questioning look, probably confused as to why Hyunjae is observing them instead of joining in; but when Hyunjae waves his hand dismissively, he shrugs and doesn't pry any further. For now, that is. He's sure that Juyeon will bring it up later, when they're alone.

It's probably one of the reasons that Hyunjae had fallen for him all those years ago. He's so considerate, to the point that it's almost ridiculous how _nice_ he can be at times. Hyunjae is sure he doesn't deserve to be treated so kindly, not by Juyeon, and especially not when he keeps lying to him.

Perhaps lying is a bit of a strong word, but isn't that basically what he's doing by not being completely honest about his feelings?

It feels like a lie, when Hyunjae smiles and avoids saying his thoughts out loud. It feels like a lie, when Hyunjae lays his hand on Juyeon's shoulder but wishes that he could bring the other closer. It feels like a lie, when Juyeon calls him his best friend and instead of being affirming, the words feel wrong, in a way. Because Hyunjae wishes they could be something else than that, but it's not like he can say it out loud.

Juyeon has been his best friend since they were kids; he can't risk their friendship by being selfish. That's why he can't ever let Juyeon know. He's scared of possible rejection, and that fear is only amplified by all the years they have known each other.

At this point, losing Juyeon would feel like losing a part of himself.

Confessing is out of the question, then.

But that's when Sangyeon comes in; he's completely new in Hyunjae's life, so there's no years-long relationship that could possibly be ruined by Hyunjae's unrequited feelings. Before, Hyunjae was scared of screwing something up, but so far, all that this crush has brought him is these mushy emotions and a whole lot of joy; so maybe crushing on Sangyeon isn't that bad.

Who knows, maybe if something bloomed between him and Sangyeon, then _maybe_ he'd finally get over Juyeon. Maybe.

It's at that moment that he finally gives in. What's the worst that could happen? A somewhat awkward situation if Sangyeon doesn't want to try things out with him? That's not entirely bad, they could still remain… whatever they are right now. Acquaintances? Friends? He isn't even sure, but it's nice nonetheless.

He can't half-ass it though. If he's going to confess to Sangyeon, he wants to make it right. He wants them to get to know each other better, he wants to treat Sangyeon well, and eventually, possibly, forget about his romantic feelings towards Juyeon. Surely, that's a good plan, right? Juyeon deserves a better friend than him, someone who doesn't yearn for him in secret. If things go well with Sangyeon, that's what he will get. Right?

Right.

So, Hyunjae makes up his mind.

And with that, he finally joins the other two. Juyeon seems pleasantly surprised, nudging his arm as he does so—it makes Juyeon feel _things_ , but if all goes according to plan, these distractions will be gone soon. If they can't be lovers, Hyunjae can keep being his best friend. He's fine with that, as long as Juyeon is happy.

  * **step three: plan it out.**



"So, how are we doing this?" with that, Hyunjae places down two mugs of hot chocolate on his living room table. It's already dark outside, and the lights in the room are a bit too yellow tinted for Hyunjae's taste, but he keeps forgetting to change the lightbulbs, so maybe it doesn't bother him _that_ much after all.

Jacob quirks up an eyebrow.

"We?" he repeats, taking the offered mug, "I'm sorry, but what? I'm not doing anything about your love life, as far as I'm aware."

Hyunjae sends him a deadpan stare, "yes, but you're the only one who actually knows that my love life _exists_. That, and I'm in great need of some advice," he rattles off, counting on his fingers, " _and_ you're in a successful relationship so I thought you'd be the perfect person to ask."

Jacob raises a hand, "listen," he butts in, his cheeks slowly growing pink, "just because I did succeed doesn't mean I know how I actually got here."

"Details!"

With that, Hyunjae throws himself on the couch. He stretches over the full lenght of it, and Jacob eyes him oddly from his spot on the armchair, but he doesn't comment. Good. If he were looking to be judged, he would have called literally anyone from the rest of his friends. They all have a master's degree in making fun of Hyunjae.

"So," he speaks up again, propping his head on his arm, "how do I ask out Sangyeon in a way that makes it most probable that he would agree to go on a date with me?"

Jacob stares. And then he blinks. He makes some vaguely puzzled gesture before stating, "as I've said, I'm not exactly an expert on this kind of thing."

Rolling his eyes, Hyunjae replies, "yeah, we've been over that. Still, bad advice is better than no advice."

He conveniently ignores the way Jacob winces, murmurs something among the lines of _no it isn't_. It takes only a few more seconds for Jacob to break and actually start thinking of a way to help.

"Okay," he starts, drawing out the word, "first of all, wouldn't it be more meaningful if you added something that he likes to your confession? Like, I don't know, flowers are a cliché but lots of people like them," he shrugs, refusing to meet Hyunjae's gaze, "or, um, if he likes a certain place, then you could take him there, I guess?"

Then, he falls silent. A beat passes, as Hyunjae still processes the words, before his eyes light up, "oh, Jacob, you're a genius."

The other squirms in his seat, "uh, thanks?"

But Hyunjae isn't listening anymore. He shoots up from his seat, making a beeline to where his phone lies on the table, before he hesitates, stops mid-way. He glances at the phone, then at Jacob, suddenly unsure, "this probably isn't the right time to call him, is it?"

The other tilts his head, "I mean, I don't mind too much, if that's what you mean," he assures, gesturing towards his drink and then at the TV. But then he turns his head to check the hour, and he adds, "though, I don't know about him. It's a Friday evening, he might he busy."

"Right," Hyunjae murmurs, taking a few steps back to slump over the couch again. He hides his face in his hands and muffles a groan, "why am I so eager?"

"Because you're whipped, obviously," Jacob chimes in. Hyunjae wishes he could deny it, maybe throw a couch cushion at him in retaliation, but the thing is, Jacob may be right. Unfortunately.

God, crushes are messy. Hyunjae definitely isn't good at this.

  * **step four: improvise until you get the information you need.**



"Hey, Sangyeon?"

His voice borders on a whisper, as they're currently in a library (of all places, a library? Hyunjae isn't very good at keeping quiet, this is bad) but the other seems to pick up on it anyway.

He doesn't look up from the book he's holding, had barely just grabbed; Hyunjae isn't even sure what about it could possibly grab his attention. Now that he pays attention, it looks somewhat like a textbook. Uh, space textbook. Hyunjae wasn't even aware that Sangyeon likes space.

"Yeah?" the other hums back. He's definitely better at keeping an indoors voice than Hyunjae is. He makes a mental note of that.

"Do you like flowers?" he asks, a bit uncertain of himself. That's what gets Sangyeon to look up; he meets Hyunjae's eye, raises his eyebrows, clearly surprised. Right. That did seemingly come out of nowhere, didn't it?

But to be fair, Hyunjae did notice a painting of some bouquet hung above one of the bookshelves, so he points towards it, hoping to save face.

"Oh," Sangyeon huffs out, tilting his head. He glances from the painting to Hyunjae, then back again, "I mean, yeah, who doesn't like flowers?"

"Right," he replies, attaching a nervous chuckle. A beat too late, he realizes that he should try to keep quiet, so he slaps a hand over his mouth and sends the lady a few steps away an apologetic look.

Sangyeon's shoulders shake in silent laughter. Now, if it were anyone else, and they weren't in a library, Hyunjae wouldn't have hesitated to slap his arm. But since it's Sangyeon, he lets it slide.

"To answer your question," the other adds in a whisper, "I like them as much as any other person. They make for a nice gift, I guess. Never really got one, though."

Hyunjae's eyes fly open. It takes him a lot of self-control not to yell, "what? You've never gotten flowers before?"

He isn't even sure why the revelation is so shocking. Maybe it's because the other seems like the high school sweetheart type, one that people would shower with Valentine gifts or anonymous letters. Or maybe it's because Hyunjae could list off a bunch of times that he, himself, had received flowers from family members or even friends, at times. But he can't stop himself from staring at Sangyeon in shock, either way.

The other just shrugs with a small smile, "no, never. Why?"

It's only then that Hyunjae looks away, suddenly way too self-aware of the way he's acting. He clears his throat, hiding his hands in the pockets of his hoodie to hopefully hide how nervous he is, and he whispers, "no reason. It's just surprising, is all."

Sangyeon raises an eyebrow, but, thankfully, doesn't pray further. He probably notices how flustered Hyunjae currently feels. The only thing he says is, "surprising, huh," before turning his gaze back to the book he's holding.

Good. He's not suspicious, at least Hyunjae doesn't think so. That means, for now, he's safe.

That, and he's got a perfect plan, now.

  * **step five: polish that plan of yours.**



"Isn't it weird, that it all somehow points to Juyeon?" Jacob chimes up from where he's lying on his bed. Hyunjae, on the other hand, sits on the wooden floor, leaning back against the bed frame. Back when he sat down, Jacob had offered him a seat on the actual mattress, but he'd declined, so now he's here. On the floor. Freezing his ass off. And he has to crane his neck to meet Jacob's gaze.

"What?" he prompts, very eloquently.

Jacob turns to lie on his side, staring down at him, "it's just, I've thought about it a bit, and everything about this situation is related to him."

Hyunjae cocks an eyebrow, "is it, now?"

He expects the other to backtrack, but Jacob only nods. Hyunjae is pretty sure Jacob's gaze has never felt this… piercing, before, "I mean, first of all, you had this whole crisis about your crush on Sangyeon _because of_ your feelings for Juyeon, right?"

He pauses, waiting for Hyunjae to nod. Only then, does he continue, "also, didn't you literally met Sangyeon through Juyeon?"

Confused where this may be going, Hyunjae huffs out a meek, "yeah?"

"And to top it all off," Jacob speaks again, a bit louder this time, "now you're trying to woo Sangyeon in hopes of getting over Juyeon."

Hyunjae frowns, turning in his spot on the floor so he's leaning his side on the frame instead. Laying his arm on the mattress, he points at Jacob, "stop right there. That's not the only reason, okay? I actually like him. I'm not trying to, like, play with Sangyeon's feelings or anything. I genuinely want us to work out."

Jacob doesn't look entirely convinced. No, he doesn't look convinced at all. Which isn't a very common occurrence, as usually he tends to agree with Hyunjae on most things, so it throws him off a little, "if you say so. How's your plan going, then? Do you know how you want to woo him yet?"

"Actually, _yes_ ," he replies, without having to think about it much. For the record, the other seems truly surprised. It makes Hyunjae feel a tinge of satisfaction, "see, I'm serious about this! He's never gotten flowers before—this is the perfect occasion! I could give him a bouquet of roses and not only will he know what that's like, it'll be special. Somewhat. Despite the fact that roses are pretty cliché—but, I mean, that's what I'm going for, right? A cliché for someone who's never experienced it."

Jacob nods, slowly. He observes Hyunjae for a moment, before he finally says, "that's… that actually sounds like a good idea."

Hyunjae beams.

"Yeah! Thanks to your genius."

Even though Jacob waves off the complement, there's a small smile on his lips, paired with a bashful blush. If all goes well, he'll be saved from hearing more of Hyunjae's rants about his love life. Key word, if.

Yeah. Hyunjae isn't sure how it will go, but isn't that how confessions are? Isn't that their charm, how unpredictable they are? Okay, maybe not, Hyunjae doesn't really appreciate the suspense, and he's already feeling extremely nervous about this, but he's also hopeful. And isn't that what matters most? Hope.

God, he really hopes he won't make a fool of himself.

  * **step six: make sure everything goes according to plan.**



It's a Saturday evening. Hyunjae had planned it well: they meet up at a park, while it still isn't dark outside. The sun will set soon, he'd looked up the exact hour, and it's supposed to be a clear sky tonight, no clouds in sight. If they stay for longer, they will be able to see the stars outside.

The stars. Even while he's with Sangyeon, the stars always remind him of Juyeon.

Perhaps it's because stargazing became something like a tradition for them, back when they were still kids. They would sneak out at night, lay down on the grass and Hyunjae would listen as Juyeon would go on and on about how pretty the sky looks, pointing out some of the constellations that his parents taught him. He wasn't aware of it back then, but maybe that was one of the first things that made Hyunjae fall for Juyeon.

Now, he knows that Sangyeon quite likes the night sky as well. Or, at least, he assumes so. He's asked about the textbook once, and the other explained that he wanted to become an astronaut when he was a child, so Hyunjae thinks this wouldn't be too far of a reach.

So, all in all, his plan should be perfect. He can only hope that it goes well, though.

"Hey, um," he chimes up, accidentally interrupting Sangyeon as he spoke. The other pauses, glancing up at Hyunjae.

Lord, they're sitting so close to each other. Although the metal bench they're perched on is cold to touch, Hyunjae can feel his entire being burn with that thought alone.

Hyunjae was the first one to arrive, of course. He'd sat down, placed the bouquet beside him and hid it under the coat he's wearing. The fact that he's hiding _something_ is very obvious, but Sangyeon had only sent him a curious glance at first and didn't really pry.

Now, this is the moment he's been waiting for. He turns to the side, picking up the roses before handing them to Sangyeon. He can't bring himself to look the other in the eye as he says, "here."

At first, there's no reaction.

Confused, Hyunjae turns to look at him. Then, he gets why Sangyeon is so silent.

If he thought that he's been flustered, then he isn't sure how to describe Sangyeon. He stares at the flowers with wide eyes, hesitating before he takes them, and there's a flush spreading through his face, one that Hyunjae is certain isn't due to the cold.

After a moment of quiet wonder, he glances at Hyunjae, "I, um, thank you, but—why…?"

This is the point of no return.

Hyunjae takes a deep breath.

"I was thinking," he starts off, fidgeting with the sleeve of his coat, "if you'd like to go on a date with me. Or, get a coffee, at least," then, he looks at Sangyeon but quickly shies away, "but, only if you'd want to, that is. No pressure."

There's a long silence. Hyunjae is too scared to meet the other's eye, so he stays rooted in place, staring at the ground. He already starts doubting himself, so he readies himself for a rejection, but then Sangyeon clears his throat and says something entirely unexpected.

"Well, uh, that makes things a bit complicated."

Startled, Hyunjae raises his head. He still feels a bit uncomfortable, but it quickly turns into confusion.

"What do you mean?"

The other at least has the decency to look apologetic. His face visibly heats up again, and he glances away before looking at Hyunjae once more; he seems so embarrassed, but so conflicted at the same time, Hyunjae almost pities him at that very moment. Or at least, he would have, if he wasn't so confused.

"Juyeon and I started dating two days ago," Sangyeon explains. He says it so quietly that Hyunjae has to listen very closely to make it out, and he stares at Hyunjae with this unreadable emotion in his gaze; he doesn't even try to decipher it, not when he's too stunned to fully process Sangyeon's words just yet.

And then it hits him.

"What?"

  * **step seven: accept failure.**



"I mean, uh, it's not very official yet," Sangyeon says, but Hyunjae barely even hears him. His whole world has just been flipped upside down, so it's not like anyone could blame him for how shocked he feels, "but he asked me out, and I agreed, so. That's why."

For a long, awkward moment, neither of them add anything. Then, eventually, Hyunjae clears his throat and murmurs, "right. Of course. Obviously you'd already be taken, I mean, you're so amazing, how couldn't you be?"

He doesn't pay attention to the way that Sangyeon blushes at the words, can't bring himself to care when he's still stuck on the words _Juyeon_ and _dating_ in the same sentence. He doesn't even know what to think.

"I'm, uh, sorry for being pushy, then," he continues. The other immediately denies it, chimes up with _you weren't being pushy_ , but Hyunjae only waves his hand dismissively and Sangyeon falls silent.

"I hope that you like the flowers, anyway," he adds in, pointing towards the roses. Sangyeon glances down at them, almost like he's forgotten about them entirely, before he nods once, twice.

"Yeah, I… I do," he replies, and, oh lord, this is so awkward. Hyunjae can't stand how embarrassed it makes him feel. What was he thinking, anyway? It's just his luck that the one person that he thought he could finally have a chance with isn't even single.

Dating Juyeon, of all people. The one person that Hyunjae hoped to get over. The universe must be playing some sick prank on him, what with how ridiculous this is.

He stands up, patting his coat down, "well, then, excuse me, I just," he pauses, clearing his throat, as it suddenly feels extremely tight. His eyes start to sting, and he isn't even sure why. He doesn't feel like crying, he doesn't even feel like anything at all, so why is he such a mess?

"I need a moment," he continues, avoiding Sangyeon's gaze, "I hope this won't, like, ruin or friendship, or whatever, right?" with that, he smiles, though it's not very humorous. When he chances a glance at the other, Sangyeon is staring at him with something not far off from disappointment.

And just like that, Hyunjae makes a run for it.

  * **step eight: ~~get over it~~ ???**



So, to say that Hyunjae is moping wouldn't be an understatement.

It's not even just that Sangyeon kind of rejected him (although he didn't outright say it), but also the fact that it was Juyeon, out of literally anyone, that he's dating. Juyeon had never even mentioned being interested in the other to Hyunjae, not even once. It makes him feel… he isn't sure entirely what, but it's not a positive emotion.

But then, it's not like he could hold it against the other. He wasn't very truthful about his own feelings towards Juyeon, anyway.

Therefore, what he ends up doing is, he stays inside his house for the following three days. It's almost like going through a breakup, even though Hyunjae had never been in a relationship before, not when he's been pining after Juyeon for years, so he isn't even positive it's a very accurate comparison. But anyway.

He watches movies in his pajamas, cries to breakup songs like the dramatic fool that he is, and ignores the outside world as well as he can. All in all, it's not a truly healthy way to cope, but it's working. Slowly.

Until it doesn't.

He's lying on a blanket spread out on the living room floor, scrolling through Twitter to pass the time when he hears it: the lock of his front door being opened. At first, he freezes, immediately coming to the assumption that someone's breaking in, before he realizes that he certainly isn't rich enough to be a worthy victim. So, he sits up, pulling at the strings of his hoodie in his nervousness as he listens for anything more.

First, there's a bit of incoherent shuffle, before he hears footsteps. Two pairs of them, at that. Now, if he's not being robbed, then he really has no fucking clue what this could be except from approaching death. So, obviously, he does what's reasonable in such a situation; he freezes up and waits for his end.

But instead of that, what ends up happening, he stares blankly as the two that are responsible for his current state of mind walk into his living room. Like they own the place.

He looks from Sangyeon to Juyeon, then at former again. And then it clicks.

Hyunjae curses ever giving Juyeon the spare key. His best friend privileges will absolutely be over after this. After he knows what the Hell is happening at this very moment, that is.

"What the fuck," he mutters, earning himself a chuckle from Sangyeon. It looks like he didn't even plan to let it out, as his eyes widen slightly before he falls silent, and Juyeon sends him an odd look before stepping closer to where Hyunjae's seated on the floor.

"Sorry for basically breaking in," he says, and for the record, he does look pretty apologetic, "but you weren't answering your phone and we got worried."

 _We?_ he mouths at Sangyeon, who smiles, almost shyly, before looking away. This is weird. Hyunjae isn't sure what to make of the situation.

So he does the one thing he's good at. He gets defensive.

"Can't a man mope around in peace?" he whines back, and although Sangyeon looks a bit confused, the words cause Juyeon to huff something that sounds almost like a chuckle. He squats down next to Hyunjae and reaches his hand out, laying it on Hyunjae's thigh. It's probably meant to be some comforting gesture, but really, it only sends him into further panic.

Okay, maybe panic is a bit of a strong word. But he's definitely flustered.

"Not when there's been a clear misunderstanding," Juyeon states, and that's what throws Hyunjae off.

He blinks, confused, glancing from Juyeon's hand up to his eyes, then at Sangyeon, who's still keeping a respectful distance.

"What misunderstanding?" he prompts. To his surprise, Sangyeon winces, raising a hand as if to hide his embarrassment. It doesn't work. Hyunjae can clearly see it, even though he doesn't get the reason behind it.

"You confessed to me," Sangyeon states, simple as that. Immediately, Hyunjae can feel his face burn, but he stubbornly continues to meet the other's gaze, "but you didn't really let me say anything after that."

Juyeon nods. He's probably been filled in the situation, it seems. The fact makes Hyunjae feel multiple conflicting emotions, but he ignores them in order to furrow his eyebrows and ask, "what do you mean?"

"He means," Juyeon chimes in, "that you ran off and wouldn't even listen to what he had to say. Which wasn't very nice, first of all," with that, he squeezes Hyunjae's thigh, and Hyunjae can't bring himself to do anything else than to look away, "but also, he didn't get to tell you that we're both open to poly relationships."

Pause.

Hyunjae leaps up from the blanket, pointing an accusing finger at Sangyeon, "you could have told me!"

"I was trying to," the other replies, sheepish. It almost sounds like a whine, except Hyunjae has never heard Sangyeon whine before, so he can't quite believe that the sound truly left his mouth.

Slightly frustrated, he turns to Juyeon, who's now looking up at him with something quite like amusement in his gaze, "that means you—you want to…?"

"Yes," he states, saving Hyunjae from saying it out loud. This doesn't feel real. Not at all.

Not when Hyunjae is standing on a blanket on the living room floor in a hoodie paired with shorts with his hair all messy, a good representation of how he currently feels. Not when Juyeon is perched on said blanket, staring up at him with a small smile on his lips, one that looks almost fond despite the whole misunderstanding. Not when Sangyeon has visited his house for the first time ever for such a stupid reason like that, without even being invited inside, simply because the two got _worried_.

This whole thing feels like something straight out of an alternate universe but alas, it's really happening and Hyunjae's hit with a realization that maybe his situation isn't as bad as he had thought.

Overwhelmed, he sits down again, raising a hand to his head like he's about to faint. Juyeon pokes his side for that, but it's worth the grin on his face. They wave Sangyeon over to join them on the blanket, and the three of them barely fit on top of it, but neither of them really cares about that.

"So," Hyunjae pauses, making sure that he's got both Juyeon and Sangyeon's attention on him, "how is this going to work?"

"Good question," the former replies, "we'll just have to try and see."

Well, to be fair, Hyunjae is more than willing to try.

**Author's Note:**

> i hope this was worth the read fjsbkf  
> sangjumil enthusiasts follow me on [twt](https://twitter.com/ddonibell) !!!!


End file.
